Central Coast go into their second home match of the season at Bluetongue Stadium on Friday night on the back of a primarily dour 1-1 draw with Sydney FC, while the Victory will be brimming with confidence after securing their first win of the season away to Gold Coast United last Sunday. Both sides will be seeking a win in order to break clear of the mid-table log-jam, which sees five sides separated by just three points.
The Mariners will be without Argentine midfielder Patricio Perez, who has received a two-match ban for diving after the FFA match review panel found that there was no contact made in a challenge by Sydney FC’s Liam Reddy in last weekend’s match. Perez impressed in his first outing for Central Coast after missing the opening three rounds with a hamstring concern and his absence will hurt the Mariners’ chances.
Melbourne appear to have turned the corner following their win against Gold Coast and with the pivotal Carlos Hernandez putting in arguably his best performance of the campaign thus far, Victory fans have reason to believe their side’s sluggish start to the season is over.
Melbourne should win this one, but Central Coast seem to have a knack for getting results at home against more fancied opponents. So, to be safe, back the Victory with the +0.5 handicap at 1.42.